Noise Machine vs Firstlight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Noise Machine
Drift off to sleep, enhance focus, or simply relax with a variety of scientifically accurate noise types. This app offers brown, green, pink, and white noise, along with a sleep timer and the ability to mix sounds. Control playback with Siri and enjoy a beautiful, dark mode interface.
- High-quality noise generation
- Integrated sleep timer
- Mix noise with other app audio
- Siri integration for playback control
- Relaxing dark mode
- Play on various audio devices
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Fall asleep easily, focus, or relax with brown noise, green noise, pink noise, and white noise, plus an integrated sleep timer. Features: * High-quality white noise, pink noise, green noise, and brown noise * Integrated Sleep Timer that fades out noise after a set time * Mix noise with the audio from other apps * Play on speakers, AirPods, or HomePod * Control from the lock screen * Relaxing Dark Mode * Ask Siri to "Play Noise Machine” or to play a specific noise Noise Machine is the best noise maker app! The beautiful design of this white noise maker app is a joy to use each night. Noise Machine features four “colors” of noise - each with different properties: • Brown Noise (also known as Red Noise) has a rich, deeper character with strong low frequencies and roars like a river or an ocean. Brown noise is beneficial for sleep, and even more effective when played through a powerful speaker to bring out its deep tones. Our brown noise is mathematically accurate, representing the true nature of brown noise. • Green Noise has an ambient and natural feel that gives the feeling of being in a forest or river valley. Green noise is energizing like a long walk in the woods. • Pink Noise has a more balanced texture that highlights the middle frequencies evenly, like a calming rain storm. Our pink noise is mathematically balanced. • White Noise is pure and flat with an equal balance of low, medium, and high-frequency sound. White noise may sound like a waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff. Our white noise is mathematically accurate, representing true white noise. Noise Machine now works with Siri. Say “Hey Siri, play Noise Machine” to pick right up where you left off with your favorite noise. You can also say: “Hey Siri, play brown noise on Noise Machine.” Are you often distracted by irritating sounds when trying to sleep at night, like city noise, loud traffic, the fan ticking, the neighbor’s music, or a partner snoring? Put on your sleep noise using this app, and you will soon find that distractions are no longer bothering you. You will also notice that this noise has a calming effect that helps you relax and drift off to sleep naturally. Once you have connected with the benefits of these sleep sounds, it may profoundly change the way you sleep. These noises are also very effective in focusing the mind on office work, study, or thought in distracting environments. By replacing the base volume of the background noise in the environment around you with random white noise, pink noise, or brown noise, the distracting sounds are drowned out, leaving you a soothing virtual silence. The noise-canceling sounds replace the background noise. The calming effect of the noise helps focus the mind on the task at hand, facilitating clarity and productivity. The audio from this app works great when played directly from your iPhone or iPad speaker and can also connect to headphones, AirPods, a Bluetooth speaker, HomePod, or other audio device for a louder and deeper bath of calming noise. Why buy a portable noise maker or sound machine when you can use the devices you already own! Noise Machine features a sleep timer to automatically turn off noise at night after a set time. Some people like to fall asleep by relaxing with noise, but find that they prefer the noise to fade out during sleep. Set a sleep timer to your desired time, and the noise will fade out very slowly. People use Noise Machine to: • fall asleep faster • block out distracting sounds • provide a source of background noise • increase focus and concentration • help with work and study • relax and reduce stress • increase privacy in the home or office • quiet your mind • alleviate tinnitus • calm infants, toddlers, children, and babies • drown out a snoring partner Privacy Policy: https://zipoapps.com/noisemachineios/privacy/ Terms and Conditions: https://zipoapps.com/noisemachineios/terms/
Firstlight
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Most anxiety apps hand you a technique. Firstlight explains the machine first — because a tool you understand works better than one you're using on faith. For over ten years I sat with people in the middle of it. Heart going, mind three steps ahead, certain something was seriously wrong. The thing that helped most was almost never a new technique. It was the moment someone understood what their body was doing, and why their thoughts were running the way they were. The same explanations landed, over and over, with people who had nothing else in common. That's what this is. Those explanations, in order, at your own pace. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why your heart races, your chest tightens, your stomach drops — and what each of those sensations is actually for. The four survival responses, and which one is yours. Why your thoughts speed up and where they run to. How the anxiety loop forms and where it can be interrupted. What to do in the moment, and what to do in the quiet weeks in between. How the beliefs you formed years ago still run the pattern now, and how to rewrite them. Written the way you'd explain it to someone you cared about. WHAT'S INSIDE 22 levels, worked through at your own pace Calm Now — breathing and grounding for when it's already happening A Toolkit that fills as you go: interactive tools and reference cards you keep A playbook you write yourself — your triggers, your early warning signs, your first move, in your own words THERE'S AN END TO IT Most apps in this category are built to keep you. This one isn't — the point is to reach the end and walk away understanding something you didn't before, carrying words you wrote yourself. FREE AND PAID Levels 1 to 5 are free. That's enough to know whether this is for you. The full journey is one payment — no subscription, no renewal, yours to keep. IT STAYS ON YOUR PHONE Everything you write stays on your phone. No account, no sign-up, no servers, nothing collected. Works offline. WHEN YOU NEED MORE THAN AN APP Crisis support numbers are one tap from the home screen and from Calm Now. Firstlight is education, not treatment, and it isn't a substitute for professional support.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Firstlight at none against Noise Machine's shown. Firstlight also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Noise Machine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Firstlight sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Noise Machine ships an update every 3 weeks, Firstlight weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Noise Machine | Firstlight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (4.3K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 119 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ZipoApps | APERTURE STUDIO LIMITED |
Bugs and requests
Noise Machine
Reported bugs
2 issues- App crashes or stops playing randomly
- Skipping or looping issues with sound
Requested features
4 requests- More sound options (purple, blue noise)
- Ability to mix/layer sounds
- Longer timer options (e.g. 30 mins)
- Ability to cast to other devices
Firstlight
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Noise Machine
- Unlimited Access3 Days trial$0.997 Days
- Unlimited Access3 Days trial$8.997 Days
- Unlimited Noise Subscription$9.991 Year
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- Unlimited Noise$12.991 Year
- Unlimited Noise$14.991 Year
- Unlimited Noise$19.991 Year
- Full Access3 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Noise Machine Lifetime Unlock$0.99
- Noise Machine Lifetime Unlock$6.99
- Noise Machine Lifetime Unlock$9.99
Firstlight
- Full Journey$22.99
Questions
Is Noise Machine free?
Is Firstlight free?
Do Noise Machine or Firstlight have ads?
Which is updated more often, Noise Machine or Firstlight?
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